Toaster.



PATENTED MAR. 31, 1908 A. E. TRAEGER.

TOASTER.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.29.1907.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTUS E. TRAEGER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO A. E. TRAEGERSPECIALTY MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OFNEW YORK.

TOASTER.

odors of the fuel and which at the same time retains a considerableportion of the moisture present in the bread, thus reserving theoriginal taste and flavor of t e toasted or b'roiled article.

A further object is to provide the utensil with supports which keep thepieces to be toasted out of contact with the sides of the toastingreceptacle, preventing burning of their edges.

' Further objects are to so construct the toaster that it can be readilyreversed for exposingboth sides of the articles to the heat; to provideit with. simple means for observing the condition of the toast withoutopening the utensil, and to provide its handles with simple means forinterlocking them.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a pers ective view of thetoaster as it appears w en closed or folded. Fig. 2 is a similar view,showing the toaster open or unfolded. Figs. 3 and 4 are cross sectionsin the correspondingly-numbered lines in imilar letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The toaster consists of a pair of imperforate pans or pan-likereceptacles A, A, of like dimensions, constructed of sheet metal orother suitable material. They are of ob long or other appropriate formand hinged or otherwise pivotally connected together at adjacent edges,as shown at b, so that they can be folded or closed face to face to forma closed toasting chamber or receptacle, as shown in Figs, 1, 3 and 4,or opened as shown in Fig. 2, to receive the pieces of bread or otherarticles to be toasted or broiled.

At the sides opposite their hinges, the pans are provided with suitableforwardly-extending handles C, C which coincide or overlap each other inthe closed position of the pans,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1907.

Patented March 31, 1908.

Serial No. 370,918.

so that they can both be grasped by the same hand for manipulating thetoaster, as required. These handles preferably-consist of wire loopsforming continuations of wires 0, c which bound and stiffen the upperedges of the pans, as shown, and if desired, these loops may be providedwith means for interlocking them. In the construction illustrated in thedrawings, the loop C is wider than the loop C to admit the latterbetween its side bars, and this wide loop is provided centrally at itsouter end with an inward bend or lip 01 adapted to be sprung under therounded outer end of the other loop C as shown in Fig. 1, therebyretaining the narrow loop within the wide one and locking the two pansin their closed position. The loops have sufficient elasticity for thispur ose. They are readily disconnected by applying the necessary forceto spring the lip of the wide loop from under the end of the narrowithin each of the pans are arranged suitable supports E for sustainingthe pieces of bread or other articles to be toasted out of contact withthe bottom of the pans. the preferred construction shown in thedrawings, each pan is provided with two sets of such supports, each setconsistin of four or more supports which are adapte to sustain a singlepiece of bread. The four supports constituting a set are formed integralwith an open rectangular frame E of sheet metal which is secured to thebottom of the pan, preferably by lips f stamped up from the bottom andoverlapplng the frame. Each support consists of a strip bent upwardlyfrom the edge of the supporting frame E at right angles to the bottom ofthe pan to form a standard e, thence outwardly parallel with the bottomto form a breadseat a, and thence upwardly to form a lip or stop 6 atthe outer edge of the seat. The supports E of each set are properlyspaced to receive a piece of bread of ordinary size and confine itagainst displacement. .The supports of one pan are arranged to comedirectly opposite those of the other pan when the toaster is closed, asshown in Figs. 3 and walls of the pans to keep the toast out of contactwith the latter and avoid burning it. By stamping or otherwise formingeach set of supports E in one piece with their carrying frame E theconstruction of these parts is rendered simple and inexpensive.

To permit inspection of the toast from time to time without opening thepans, the latter are provided in their bottoms with one or more windowsG of mica or other suitable material. These mica panes are applied'tothe inner sides of the pans and confined between the bottoms of thelatter and the rectangular frames E The latter thus perform the doublefunction of a carrier for the supports E and a clampingframe for the corresponding mica sheet.

In the use of the utensil, the pieces of bread to be toasted are placedon the seats e of one of the pans and the latter are then folded andtheir handles interlocked, completely inclosing the bread. The toast isthus not only protected against burning by contact with the flame of thegas burner or other heater, but much of the moisture in the bread isretained and exposure of the toast to the products of combustion isavoided, rendering it very palatable. As gases and odors cannot enterthe toaster, the bread may be toasted over any kind of heater, includinglamps and oil stoves, without danger of burning the toast or affectingits taste.

I claim as my invention:

1. A toaster comprising a pair of pans hinged together at one edge andprovided at their opposite free edges with wire handleloops, one of theloops being wider than the other and provided atits outer end with a orbend arranged to interlock with the li adjacent end of the other loop,substantially as set forth.

2. In a toaster, a pan having opposing bread-supports each consisting ofa seat raised above the bottom of the pan and provided with a stop forpreventing displace ment of the bread on the seat, substantially as setforth.

3. In a toaster, a pan having opposin bread-supports each consisting ofa standar rising from the bottom of the pan, a substantially horizontalseat at the up er end of the standard and a stop arranger on the seat,substantially as set forth.

4. In a toaster, the combination of a pan, a sheet-metal frame or platesecured to the interior of the pan-bottom and bread-supports formedintegral with said frame and each comprising a strip bent upward fromthe frame substantially at right angles to the pan bottom, thenceoutward to form a seat and thence upward to form a stop,'substantiallyas set forth.

5. A toaster, comprising a pair of connected pans having sight-openingscovered by transparent panes and containing breadsupports raised abovethe bottoms of the pans, substantially as set forth.

6. A toaster, comprising a pair of connected pans having sight-openings,open frames coinciding with said openings and secured to the interior ofthe pan-bottoms, bread-supports formed integral with said frames, andtransparent panes covering said sight-openings and interposed betweenthe pan-bottoms and said frames, substantially as set forth.

7. A toaster, comprising a pair of connected pans having sight openings,transparent panes covering said openings, the bottoms of the pans havingintegral lips for retaining said panes in place thereon, and raisedbread supports arranged in the pans adjacent to the edges of saidsight-openings, substantially as set forth.

l/Vitness my hand this 24th day of April, 1907.

AUGUSTUS E. TRAEGER.

l/Vitnesses:

C. F. GEYER, E M. GRAHAM

